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Royal Jewels

LadyAmythyst69

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An earlier photo of Infanta Elena wearing the same set at a different event.

InfantaElena3.jpg
 

Love in Bloom

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Don''t have much to comment other than the jewels are lovely (well, most of them are
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), but just had to say thanks LadyAmythyst for starting this thread!
 

oobiecoo

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So... if Prince Charles loved Camilla first, why didn''t he marry her instead of Diana?
 

Delster

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The story I've heard is that Prince Phillip had a 'fatherly word' with Charles before sending him into the air force to split them up. But I don't know what the family's initial objection was to Camilla? Anyway Charles was sent away with the RAF and Camilla married Major Andrew Parker-Bowles. Even if she had divorced Parker-Bowles immediately upon Charles's return they couldn't have married without him giving up the crown (a la Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson).

LadyAmythyst please step in and correct all the gossipy mis-assumptions I'm sure I've just made in telling the tabloid version of the story!!!
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Personally I like Camilla - I think she and Charles are kind of a modern Romeo and Juliet. So sad that so many people (Diana especially) had their hearts broken in the whole affair. I don't find Camilla unattractive at all and from what I've read about her she's a warm and friendly person with a cracking sense of humour.

What a great thread this is - I've just caught up on all ten pages and am dribbling over all those beautiful tiaras
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AGBF

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Date: 10/29/2007 12:20:17 PM
Author: oobiecoo
So... if Prince Charles loved Camilla first, why didn't he marry her instead of Diana?


Diana had no part in the story back then, although, of course, her life was to be unalterably affected by it ultimately. Diana, if she was even born (I didn't do the math), was a child.

No one except Prince Charles and Camilla may ever know the real story. The myth-i.e. the story that is repeated by journalists and people supposedly in the know-is that Charles went off for military service without proposing marriage to Camilla; that she gave up hope he would do so and married Andrew Parker-Bowles; and that Charles was devastated and wrote some lines about how he would never get over the loss.

That version of the story is certainly unflattering to Andrew Parker-Bowles, but I do not think that anyone can doubt that the attachment between Charles and Camilla has proved to be enduring!

Perhaps one has to have lived through that era to understand why Camilla might have despaired. It seemed as if Prince Charles would never marry. Since members of the Royal Family in England could not divorce without hideous repercussions (witness Edward VIII), he was taking forever to take the plunge. It is ironic that his failure to act (perhaps for fear of making a mistake) may have caused his greatest mistake (losing Camilla and thus making a marriage to someone he didn't love inevitable).



Deborah
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LadyAmythyst69

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Date: 10/29/2007 1:19:08 PM
Author: Delster
The story I''ve heard is that Prince Phillip had a ''fatherly word'' with Charles before sending him into the air force to split them up. But I don''t know what the family''s initial objection was to Camilla? Anyway Charles was sent away with the RAF and Camilla married Major Andrew Parker-Bowles. Even if she had divorced Parker-Bowles immediately upon Charles''s return they couldn''t have married without him giving up the crown (a la Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson).

LadyAmythyst please step in and correct all the gossipy mis-assumptions I''m sure I''ve just made in telling the tabloid version of the story!!!
1.gif


Personally I like Camilla - I think she and Charles are kind of a modern Romeo and Juliet. So sad that so many people (Diana especially) had their hearts broken in the whole affair. I don''t find Camilla unattractive at all and from what I''ve read about her she''s a warm and friendly person with a cracking sense of humour.

What a great thread this is - I''ve just caught up on all ten pages and am dribbling over all those beautiful tiaras
30.gif
If there is only one single reason that Prince Charles didn''t marry Camilla when he first had the chance - well I''d say that it''s because he is essentially a weak willed character. But nothing is as simple as one single reason so I''ll give you the background story.

Keep in mind that these people are all related and the real motivations for their actions are usually rooted in long standing family relationships and undercurrents - just like most people. It''s one big family drama!

That story starts with Lord Mountbatten. Mountbatten was a relative of the English RF (descendant of Queen Victoria). He was born into a poor and minor branch of a German RF and held the title of Prince of Battenberg. The Battenbergs were always very popular personally with the RF but were also looked down upon as inferior because they descended through a morganatic marriage to a commoner. So in essence they were fun to hang around with but not marriage material. Mountbatten was a very ambitious man who achieved very high status as the last Viceroy of India (for all intents and purposes the Viceroys were treated as Royalty). He also became First Lord Admiral of the Sea serving in the British Navy. Imagine the shock, insult and sense of betrayal he felt when he was forced to relinquish his German title of Prince due the RF''s attempt to purge it''s obvious German origins because of the xenophobic atmosphere created by the war. So Prince Louis of Battenberg became the (relatively) lowly Lord Mountbatten. I''m certain that he spent the rest of his life trying to regain and prove the status of his own Royal bloodline.

To that purpose he virtually adopted Prince Philip who came to England as an impoverished, exilled Greek Prince who was completely abandoned by his own parents. Mountbatten had ambitions to be the power behind the throne. He made a great start when he helped engineer the marriage between Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth. At their wedding reception he stood up and made a toast to the "House of Mountbatten-Windsor". Needless to say this was met by a very stony silence and shortly thereafter a decree was issued making it clear that the name of the Royal House would remain Windsor. (To this day several of Prince Philip''s children sign themselves as Mountbatten-Windsor in defiance of the decree and as a show of support for their father. Prince Andrew signed his wedding certificate this way.)

Having failed with Prince Philip, Mountbatten turned his sights on the next generation, Prince Charles.

Prince Charles was very attached to Lord Mountbatten. He viewed Mountbatten as a father substitute since Charles'' relationship with Prince Philip has never been warm or close. Lord Mountbatten very deliberately set himself up to be a mentor (some might say more of a Svengali) to Prince Charles. He wanted Prince Charles to marry his grand-daughter Amanda. Unfortunately, Amanda was too young at the time so Mountbatten convinced Prince Charles that he should not marry until he was 30 and spend some time "sowing his wild oats" (with women often vetted and "supplied" by Lord Mountbatten). He also convinced Prince Charles that he had to marry a young and virginal girl that he could mold to be his wife (again with Amanda in mind).

So when Camilla came along she was all wrong for the job. She was a year older than Charles and had "a past". She was also not well bred enough and not conventionally pretty. All these things seemed to matter much more back then! Plus Charles was facing several years at sea with the Navy and probably thought it would be a better idea to think of marriage after that was all over. I also think he hadn''t really had enough time with his relationship with Camilla to realize how much he loved her - they were a fairly new item. Also, I seriously doubt that Camilla aspired to or welcomed the idea of marrying into the RF. At that time she was seriously in love with Andrew Parker-Bowles and had really only set her sights on Prince Charles to get back at Andrew for having cheated on her with Princess Anne. (At one time there was seriously thought that he would marry Anne - but I think everyone quickly realized he was unsuitable. I don''t think many people realize that Andrew and Anne have had an on again off again affair over the years. She went back to him when her marriage with Peter Phillips started to collapse.)

So, with confusion in his heart and Mountbatten''s words ringing in his ears Prince Charles went off to sea. He only realized how much he cared for Camilla after he had lost her. Prince Charles actually did go on to (half heartedly) propose to Amanda, who wisely turned him down telling him she thought of him as a big brother.

Shortly thereafter Mountbatten was blown up by IRA terrorists and Prince Charles went into a tailspin. He threw himself into a relationship with firey, Scottish woman who was an obvious Camilla substitute. She famously stormed out of a party at which Charles was neglecting her to dance with Camilla. Charles proposed to this woman too but was also turned down. She was old enough to know better than to marry a man who was obviously in love with some one else.

Unfortunately, Diana was not old enough to know better. She came along shortly thereafter, thrown into Prince Charles path by the combined machinations of his grand-mother the Queen Mum and her lady in waiting and great friend Frances Fermoy (who was Diana''s grand-mother). Diana''s grand-mother quickly realized that Diana would not fit the bill for Prince Charles or the RF - not a fan of the "hunting, fishing. shooting" lifestyle. She actually tried to warn the RF off but by then they were all so desperate to marry Charles off to anybody suitable and by then the press was in love with Diana and if Charles had backed out it would have been very bad press for him indeed.

So that''s the story - as short as I could make it! LOL!

Now you know better than to ask a historian to tell a story!
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diagem

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since this thread is called "Royal Jewels"...

Check out some of the serius jewels of the now called Iranian Crown Jewels...
Some pretty heavy duty stuff..., History of some of these jewels date back to the Mughal Empire (India) back 400 -500 years...

This is just one example of an extremely rare tiara:




The rest you can find at: http://www.iranchamber.com/museum/royal_jewels/national_iranian_jewels04.php

06_farah_tiara.jpg
 

Skippy123

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Date: 10/29/2007 5:50:20 PM
Author: DiaGem
since this thread is called 'Royal Jewels'...

Check out some of the serius jewels of the now called Iranian Crown Jewels...
Some pretty heavy duty stuff..., History of some of these jewels date back to the Mughal Empire (India) back 400 -500 years...

This is just one example of an extremely rare tiara:




The rest you can find at: http://www.iranchamber.com/museum/royal_jewels/national_iranian_jewels04.php
Oh my GOODNESS, thanks DG!!!! Page 1 has one of the worlds largest diamonds; 186 carats!
drool.gif
 

Kaleigh

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WOW, thanks DG!!!!
 

diagem

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Another great Diamond (and engraved), now part of the Russian Crowns jewels..., but historically originated in the Golconda mines of India passed through the Iranian Crown jewels...

The Shah Diamond:

ShahDiamond88.70cts..jpg
 

nebe

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Date: 10/29/2007 5:34:45 PM
Author: LadyAmythyst69

Date: 10/29/2007 1:19:08 PM
Author: Delster
The story I''ve heard is that Prince Phillip had a ''fatherly word'' with Charles before sending him into the air force to split them up. But I don''t know what the family''s initial objection was to Camilla? Anyway Charles was sent away with the RAF and Camilla married Major Andrew Parker-Bowles. Even if she had divorced Parker-Bowles immediately upon Charles''s return they couldn''t have married without him giving up the crown (a la Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson).

LadyAmythyst please step in and correct all the gossipy mis-assumptions I''m sure I''ve just made in telling the tabloid version of the story!!!
1.gif


Personally I like Camilla - I think she and Charles are kind of a modern Romeo and Juliet. So sad that so many people (Diana especially) had their hearts broken in the whole affair. I don''t find Camilla unattractive at all and from what I''ve read about her she''s a warm and friendly person with a cracking sense of humour.

What a great thread this is - I''ve just caught up on all ten pages and am dribbling over all those beautiful tiaras
30.gif
If there is only one single reason that Prince Charles didn''t marry Camilla when he first had the chance - well I''d say that it''s because he is essentially a weak willed character. But nothing is as simple as one single reason so I''ll give you the background story.

Keep in mind that these people are all related and the real motivations for their actions are usually rooted in long standing family relationships and undercurrents - just like most people. It''s one big family drama!

That story starts with Lord Mountbatten. Mountbatten was a relative of the English RF (descendant of Queen Victoria). He was born into a poor and minor branch of a German RF and held the title of Prince of Battenberg. The Battenbergs were always very popular personally with the RF but were also looked down upon as inferior because they descended through a morganatic marriage to a commoner. So in essence they were fun to hang around with but not marriage material. Mountbatten was a very ambitious man who achieved very high status as the last Viceroy of India (for all intents and purposes the Viceroys were treated as Royalty). He also became First Lord Admiral of the Sea serving in the British Navy. Imagine the shock, insult and sense of betrayal he felt when he was forced to relinquish his German title of Prince due the RF''s attempt to purge it''s obvious German origins because of the xenophobic atmosphere created by the war. So Prince Louis of Battenberg became the (relatively) lowly Lord Mountbatten. I''m certain that he spent the rest of his life trying to regain and prove the status of his own Royal bloodline.

To that purpose he virtually adopted Prince Philip who came to England as an impoverished, exilled Greek Prince who was completely abandoned by his own parents. Mountbatten had ambitions to be the power behind the throne. He made a great start when he helped engineer the marriage between Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth. At their wedding reception he stood up and made a toast to the ''House of Mountbatten-Windsor''. Needless to say this was met by a very stony silence and shortly thereafter a decree was issued making it clear that the name of the Royal House would remain Windsor. (To this day several of Prince Philip''s children sign themselves as Mountbatten-Windsor in defiance of the decree and as a show of support for their father. Prince Andrew signed his wedding certificate this way.)

Having failed with Prince Philip, Mountbatten turned his sights on the next generation, Prince Charles.

Prince Charles was very attached to Lord Mountbatten. He viewed Mountbatten as a father substitute since Charles'' relationship with Prince Philip has never been warm or close. Lord Mountbatten very deliberately set himself up to be a mentor (some might say more of a Svengali) to Prince Charles. He wanted Prince Charles to marry his grand-daughter Amanda. Unfortunately, Amanda was too young at the time so Mountbatten convinced Prince Charles that he should not marry until he was 30 and spend some time ''sowing his wild oats'' (with women often vetted and ''supplied'' by Lord Mountbatten). He also convinced Prince Charles that he had to marry a young and virginal girl that he could mold to be his wife (again with Amanda in mind).

So when Camilla came along she was all wrong for the job. She was a year older than Charles and had ''a past''. She was also not well bred enough and not conventionally pretty. All these things seemed to matter much more back then! Plus Charles was facing several years at sea with the Navy and probably thought it would be a better idea to think of marriage after that was all over. I also think he hadn''t really had enough time with his relationship with Camilla to realize how much he loved her - they were a fairly new item. Also, I seriously doubt that Camilla aspired to or welcomed the idea of marrying into the RF. At that time she was seriously in love with Andrew Parker-Bowles and had really only set her sights on Prince Charles to get back at Andrew for having cheated on her with Princess Anne. (At one time there was seriously thought that he would marry Anne - but I think everyone quickly realized he was unsuitable. I don''t think many people realize that Andrew and Anne have had an on again off again affair over the years. She went back to him when her marriage with Peter Phillips started to collapse.)

So, with confusion in his heart and Mountbatten''s words ringing in his ears Prince Charles went off to sea. He only realized how much he cared for Camilla after he had lost her. Prince Charles actually did go on to (half heartedly) propose to Amanda, who wisely turned him down telling him she thought of him as a big brother.

Shortly thereafter Mountbatten was blown up by IRA terrorists and Prince Charles went into a tailspin. He threw himself into a relationship with firey, Scottish woman who was an obvious Camilla substitute. She famously stormed out of a party at which Charles was neglecting her to dance with Camilla. Charles proposed to this woman too but was also turned down. She was old enough to know better than to marry a man who was obviously in love with some one else.

Unfortunately, Diana was not old enough to know better. She came along shortly thereafter, thrown into Prince Charles path by the combined machinations of his grand-mother the Queen Mum and her lady in waiting and great friend Frances Fermoy (who was Diana''s grand-mother). Diana''s grand-mother quickly realized that Diana would not fit the bill for Prince Charles or the RF - not a fan of the ''hunting, fishing. shooting'' lifestyle. She actually tried to warn the RF off but by then they were all so desperate to marry Charles off to anybody suitable and by then the press was in love with Diana and if Charles had backed out it would have been very bad press for him indeed.

So that''s the story - as short as I could make it! LOL!

Now you know better than to ask a historian to tell a story!
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LadyAmythyst, will you marry me?
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diamondfan

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I know that for all we can say, it would seem that Camilla was simply more his type and better suited to the things he likes. DIana was lovely, and had the right pedigree, and was a virgin supposedly, but she really did not have as much in common with Charles. She really did love him, but they seemed to be so different and it did harm them in the end. Regardless, it is so sad how it all turned out.
 

oobiecoo

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Thanks for all the info on the Charles/Camilla/Diana situation. I never knew the whole story with them!
 

mintve

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Date: 10/30/2007 6:42:16 PM
Author: SanDiegoLady

Date: 10/29/2007 8:18:35 PM
Author: diamondfan
I know that for all we can say, it would seem that Camilla was simply more his type and better suited to the things he likes. DIana was lovely, and had the right pedigree, and was a virgin supposedly, but she really did not have as much in common with Charles. She really did love him, but they seemed to be so different and it did harm them in the end. Regardless, it is so sad how it all turned out.
Sadly, I agree. Poor Diana... what a horrible situation to realize all of a sudden that she was in. Can you fathom? I truly believe she wanted to believe he loved her, and perhaps he did for a time, but I don''t believe he was ever IN LOVE with her.

They have such wonderful sons, however.. I do believe they were part of God''s plan, despite the horrible ending to thier beautiful Mother''s life... Can you imagine though, Diana aging? I can honestly say I cannot. I only see her as she was, quite vibrant and always trying.. trying to help, to care, to love, to make a point of the life she had.
ditto on everything SanDiegoLady

Love this thread!!!
 

diagem

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I thought this picture deserved a place on this thread..., (thank you Chargergrrl for this amazing shot
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)

Top: The Regent-Pitt Diamond..., 140.5 carats of exceptional quality cut in the early 1700''s.

Lower right: The Hortensia Diamond..., 20.53 carats, of pale pink shade..., purchased by Louis XIV in the 1700''s


Lower left: The Sancy Diamond..., a 55 carat, pear shaped, double rose-cut, it has a long complicated history, but probably originated in the mid 16th. Century since it was named after Nicolas de Sancy (1546-1627)


History!!!

CGFR3.JPG


Amazing!!!

 

diagem

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More History?

Here is a picture of the Marie-Antoinette Blue..., A beautiful 5.46 carat greyish-blue heart shaped Diamond is set in a ring that was considered private property, so it was not included as part of the official French Crown Jewels...

Marie-Antoinette gave this ring to one of her confidantes just before being guillotined in 1793.
Today it is part of a private collection!

MarieAntoinetteBlue1.JPG
 

AGBF

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Date: 10/31/2007 8:55:44 AM
Author: DiaGem

I thought this picture deserved a place on this thread...


DiaGem,

Where did this picture come from...or, more correctly, from where did this picture come? It certainly deserves a place in this thread, but I want to know more! Is that a crown sitting above the diamonds? Why are they laid out as they are?

Deborah
34.gif
 

Ellen

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LadyA, thank you so much for the post about Charles background. I didn''t know any of that, and found it most facinating!
 

susi

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LadyA, love your thread, pictures and historical accounts. I, too, have pursued British crown jewelry information for years although not nearly to the extent that you have nor do I even approach your historical knowledge....but I''ve enjoyed the pursuit.....( since the 1980''s) Seeing this thread and reading thru it has reawakened my appreciation and I hope you will continue to add to it.
 

diagem

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Date: 10/31/2007 11:43:26 AM
Author: AGBF





Date: 10/31/2007 8:55:44 AM
Author: DiaGem

I thought this picture deserved a place on this thread...


DiaGem,

Where did this picture come from...or, more correctly, from where did this picture come? It certainly deserves a place in this thread, but I want to know more! Is that a crown sitting above the diamonds? Why are they laid out as they are?

Deborah
34.gif
Chargergrrl took this shot on a trip to France... (see: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/france-pics-bling-food.71607/ ) Thank you Chargergrrl.
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These crown jewels are located at the Apollo Gallery at the Louvre in Paris.

The crown is Louis XV's coronation crown (1722), the center is the Regent, the Great Mazarin above it..., and the Sancy is on the top.
After the coronation..., the original Diamonds were replaced with copies..., (so the crown in this picture holds the copies, while below you can find the originals)

The Great Mazarin was a 21.60 carat square table cut re-cut into a 19.0 carat square brilliant..., and (as I know) is part of the Boucheron collection in present day.
 

Linda W

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These are so beautiful, LOVE these pictures!!!

Linda
 

AGBF

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Date: 10/31/2007 2:24:58 PM
Author: DiaGem

Chargergrrl took this shot on a trip to France... (see: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/france-pics-bling-food.71607/ ) Thank you Chargergrrl.
1.gif



These crown jewels are located at the Apollo Gallery at the Louvre in Paris.


The crown is Louis XV''s coronation crown (1722), the center is the Regent, the Great Mazarin above it..., and the Sancy is on the top.

After the coronation..., the original Diamonds were replaced with copies..., (so the crown in this picture holds the copies, while below you can find the originals)



Thank you, DiaGem. I have not seen Chargergrrl''s French thread. When I have some time I will have to read it. That crown is exquisite!


Deborah
34.gif
 

LadyAmythyst69

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Here are some photos of Crown Princess Letizia of Spain at a gala for the opening of an extension to the Prado.

letiziaatprado.jpg
 

LadyAmythyst69

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Letizia was wearing a lovely set of diamond earrings and necklace.

letiziaatprado2.jpg
 

LadyAmythyst69

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Another shot of Letizia''s diamonds.

letiziaatprado3.jpg
 

LadyAmythyst69

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Last one:

The Spanish Royals lately tend to avoid wearing any very lavish jewels to events within Spain. There has been a lot of negative political debate and protests against the monarchy. King Juan-Carlos lost his throne once - I doubt he wants to go through that again! So they keep a lower profile these days.
 

oobiecoo

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This was Archduchess Isabella of Austria''s peridot parure. I believe its now privately owned by an individual. I''m definitely in LOVE with it!

peridotparure.jpg
 

oobiecoo

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The necklace...

peridotparurenecklace.jpg
 
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